Much is said and written today regarding the emerging church. In Christianity for the Rest of Us, Diana Butler Bass shares stories from mainline Protestant congregations experiencing renewal and transformation through re-connection with historic Christian practices. In reality, she debunks the myth that only fundamental conservative congregations transform lives.
The working assumption of many people today is that mainline Protestants are “the frozen chosen†who “sit around in the dark with their eyes shut.†According to many reporters, “politically conservative evangelicalism is the only vital form of the Christian faith.†In the introduction to Christianity for the Rest of Us, Bass contends that “other†Christians exist and have found meaningful ways of living together with traditions, social justice, spiritual practices, and emotive worship.
Diana Butler Bass came to her convictions about the vitality of mainline Protestantism through research. Her three-year research project focused on 50 mainline congregations “in which new things appeared to be happening, and where people were growing deeper and experiencing a new sense of identity by intentionally engaging Christian practices.†Ten of the churches were studied in depth, and Bass gleaned stories from these congregations through interviews, surveys and visits.
While the author confesses many mainline Protestant churches are struggling to survive, she asserts that lively faith is not located in buildings, programs and structures. “Spiritual vitality lives in human beings; it is located at the heart of God’s people and the community they form.â€
Bass discovered paths to renewal for mainline congregations are varied, but all seem to find new vitality through intentionally engaging in Christian tradition and embodying spiritual practices. As a result of her research, Bass identifies ten “signposts†of renewal:
- Hospitality—the practice of welcoming strangers into community and into God’s transformative love without expecting anything in return.
- Discernment—the practice of paying attention to God. Discernment involves serious reflection on scripture that is grounded in prayer and informed by experience. It is both personal and communal.
- Healing—the practice of creating a space where all can find healing from brokenness, where sinners find peace.
- Contemplation—the practice of encountering God in silence, attention and adoration.
- Testimony—the practice of sharing personal stories of God’s transforming work.
- Diversity—the practice of actively constructing a community that crosses boundaries, making room for the kingdom of God.
- Justice—the practice of engaging the powers—transforming all systems of injustice, violence, and exclusion.
- Worship—the practice of encountering God in a way that transforms the heart.
- Reflection—the practice of bringing head, heart and experiences into conversation with faith.
- Beauty—the practice of creativity within a congregation, i.e. singing beautiful music together or experiencing works of art or film that help us encounter God.
Another common characteristic of these emerging congregations is the capacity for change. These congregations recognize they are on journey with God—a journey of faith that will not end. Congregants speak of “becoming†because they are constantly listening to God’s call and responding to it. While these congregations are re-connecting with tradition, they recognize that “tradition needs to be fluid.†Anxiety about change has given way to real spiritual hunger to go deeper with God.
I very much enjoyed reading Christianity for the Rest of Us and found myself resonating with Bass in significant ways. Because congregations often have different scorecards to measure “success,†I find it refreshing to hear the stories of congregations that wrestle with what it means for them to be faithful. These congregations are self-defined and engaging in spiritual practices in new and fresh ways. I highly recommend this book to all who desire to shape and form authentic Christian communities.
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You should come up to Newton Massachusetts. The Sr. Minister did a sermon series on Christianity for the Rest of Us (the first series he has done since he has been here) and got some challenging responses back from the Congregation, a congregation that is extremely proud of their physical church. So to hear that “church” is not a building has been a small challenge.
He and I are also attending a 2 day Woodbury leadership workshop next month at Andover Newton Theological School, where Diana Butler Bass is the main speaker.
It is always good to read books about churches that aren’t “megachurches” and are the “normal” every day church (if there is such a thing). I liked seeing the cross section of denominations and just how much more we have in common than we don’t.
I am looking forward to the workshop.
I just came back from the two day workshop with Diana Butler Bass. Here is a snapshot of what she said: Diana broke down her research to share that in all the churches that she studied for the book, they all contained three intertwined components connected in a pattern/model:
1. Practice – (those listed above) and in a vital church, it’s not about the programming, it’s about the intentionality of involving the practices.
2. Wisdom – not to have all the answers, or act like you do, but to be able to ask the questions; search for answers, and ask more questions.
3. Tradition – remembering the foundation, passing the mantle and remembering how it began
The Pattern is:
Practice is about doing
Tradition is about remembering
Wisdom is about knowing
Churches and clergy experience burnout when they are stuck in one component and not involving the other pieces. When you are stuck in tradition, you are not learning. When you are stuck in wisdom, you are in an internal naval gazing. When you are stuck in practice, you are not teaching. How you enter into the model is up to the church, but be sure you continue to involve all three.
NOW – the ah-ha moments that I experienced came in the following statements:
1. There is hope. In her research, she found that most churches are doing some part of this model. We are in a positive paradigm shift, if we can be patient, realistic, and thick-skinned to take what is to come. We are doing it, but we need to be intentional.
2. Churches are NOT called to do ALL practices. In the back of her book, you will see that each church she studied, there had strengths in just a few practices and the passion showed in them
I am not giving the workshop the justice it deserves in my remarks, but thought you would like to know a little of what I learned in the process. This workshop was especially helpful for me in the challenges i face coming from serving Virginia churches to leading the education program in a New England culturally based American Baptist church in Boston. Now, if she can just write the sequel on how to begin this vital church process, things will be just fine.
Thanks, Linda! Glad you were able to attend the workshop with Bass. You obviously got a lot out of it.